FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2012 file photo, a Libyan man investigates the inside of the U.S. Consulate, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that the CIA station chief in Libya reported to Washington within 24 hours of last month's deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate that there was evidence it was carried out by militants, not a mob upset about an American-made, anti-Muslim movie. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon, File)

Emails obtained by various media outlets show that the White House was informed in the first hours following the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia had claimed responsibility.

A story from Reuters said the emails described the September 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans as it was under way. The first email received, according to the story, had "U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under
Attack" as its subject line.

According to a Fox News story, the emails were sent in real time to 300-400 people involved with national security that day, including to personnel in the White House situation room and the Pentagon.

In the days following the attack, the Obama administration had said they believed the attack was sparked by an anti-Muslim film that mocked the prophet Mohammed, going so far as to produce a commercial featuring the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the movie did not represent what the United States stands for.

It was on September 28 that the administration first mentioned a possible link to extremists groups.